Hey Dennis, RJ is giving free tips on building cookers

[Nator]

Nice flame war and RJ history lesson over at the POSK site under the newssection. RJ even shares design lessons! Hurry up and check it out before the posts fall off like POSK tiles.

[DennisLinkletter]

Funny how the world turns..

He's babbling about the legs on my early fireboxes are copies of his. Yes that lame part of the design was inspired by his firebox. But it was still very much a new design as it was in two pieces. It was the only firebox not plagued by stress from uneven expansion and contraction. ..

A brilliant idea if I do say so myself..

As you all know the legs were dropped Sept 06..

and now it's sitting on it's own shelf also..

I'm sure he'll claim that was his idea also..

http://komodokamado.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=729

Funny how the world turns..

He walked out leaving over $70,000 in debt in Indonesia..

I walked in hired Topo and his workers and from the ground up built the present day Komodo Kamado.

I fired Topo as he's as crooked as RJ last January..

Now RJ has returned to Indonesia, hired Topo and is milking him for my building secrets and as announced his 2008 Kamado will have my Komodo's acme threaded damper top feature..(he should have copied that years ago)

He talks about improving his tiling and even shows a shot of his new improved stronger base which is exactly like mine.

If you take a look at his Komodo inspired sear grill that sits on this new firebox you will see both my curved slanted in side handles and front door handle.. Exact copies!

I know first hand from a mold making shop that Topo has made a new two layer mold and has purchased HW materials.

They probably won't use the correct mixtures as it's much more expensive that Kamado's portland..

The two layer design has a patent pending status but that does not seem to bother them..

But at least he's trying to improve his POSK's and that's a suprising step in the right direction.

He's clever enough to go to where he could get some good information.. my ex employees!

There now we're even..

Go figure.

I'm sure he's been chased out of Mexico and he and Topo will cheat each other again.

As you know, I have rules against trashing RJ on this forum but sometimes enough is enough..

I of course will continue to tinker with Komodo and it will stay leaps and bounds ahead of the others in both design and materials used.

Sorry to say his won't stay up long.. Someone better archive this post to http://www.KamadoFraudForum.org

But I do feel a bit better venting..

Enough said..

Let's go back to cooking!

[Firemonkey]

Sorry to say his won't stay up long..

Why remove it?? You state the facts. You dont rant about how you invented cookers, words, charcoal, or the Internet itself. RJ continues his charade of being in Thailand, yet you cite specific details to show otherwise.

What you speak is the truth. Thats not trashing RJ, thats informing the masses. Since RJ makes baseless claims, then deletes any comments that refute him, there is no foul in using your own platform to speak out.

I doubt we will see any challenges here, but if there are any, it is good to know we wont be reading a one sided conversation on this forum.

[Sominus]

I'll be honest, I have a K#7. I do love what it allows me to do.

In all honesty, if I were doing my initial research over again to buy a ceramic cooker, KK would probably win out. My personal reasons why are irrelevant to this discussion.

RJ had/has a great product (probably better than anything else out there for a long time) prior to the latest KK and a lot of people are very happy with them. His company's customer service record is, to say the least, poor. Regardless of the discussions of "how it came to be", I think KK is a superior product now.

Just remember when you're talking about things: Those of us who HAVE a Kamado are kinda stuck... We might like our product and what we can do with it, but (in my case anyway) can't afford to get into another high-end product like the KK.

Hey, Dennis: Wanna set up a "trade up" program?

-M

[Curly]

...Just remember when you're talking about things: Those of us who HAVE a Kamado are kinda stuck... We might like our product and what we can do with it, but (in my case anyway) can't afford to get into another high-end product like the KK.

Hey, Dennis: Wanna set up a "trade up" program?

-M

Good point, we do need to remember the feelings of those that still own a K. I still own one, although I was fortunate enough to get a KK, so my K is gathering dust.

Well Dennis, a trade up program, that's the ticket

[Porkchop]

sominus, i definitely know how you feel, as do many here. kind of a "recovering kamado owner" support group. many of us have a kamado or 2 in the backyard, and came here for various and sundry reasons.

sanny is by far MY favorite kamado owner tho. we don't disparage others for using other brand cookers here. i may have taken the opportunity in the past to go after, ahem, their administration, but i can't go off on somebody just for cooking on a kamado.

so, if the careless word does get uttered here, try not to take it to heart. it is surely intended for other ears!

welcome.

[Curly]

...

so, if the careless word does get uttered here, try not to take it to heart. it is surely intended for other ears!

The careless words that all of us ex-K owners have uttered from time to time are usually intended for the owner and typically directed at his poor level of Customer Service.

[gerard]

...

so, if the careless word does get uttered here, try not to take it to heart. it is surely intended for other ears!

The careless words that all of us ex-K owners have uttered from time to time are usually intended for the owner and typically directed at his poor level of Customer Service.

Or are intended for the forum buttcrust that has provided the Kompany cover for years and refuses to let anyone hold the Johnsons accountable for a shoddy design, shoddy workmanship and sooo many broken promises.

[Sanny]

sanny is by far MY favorite kamado owner tho. ...

so, if the careless word does get uttered here, try not to take it to heart. it is surely intended for other ears!

welcome.

:::blush::: Oh my!

Hey, PC... how YOU doin?

(I have a cobalt tiled K5, and it cooks nicely - when it's not burning my hair and eyelashes. I'd love a KK, but that's for "someday." For now, I do fine with what I have. And the forum family I've chosen. )

[trish]

Sanny wrote:

And the forum family I've chosen. )

This reminds me of one of my favorite sayings though I do not know the origination: "Friends are the family we pick ouselves". This may not be accurate, but its close.

I concur, the negative sentiments expressed are towards the Johnsons and the poor service and lies as well as their forum cheerleaders who attack anyone who dares to mention on the forum they have a problem when the Johnsons ignore them.

Given the mexi-forum is declining into a customer service grievance forum, I think we should be more welcoming to those who want to join us and share recipes and techniques. That will make this forum stronger.

[trish]

Dennis...as I have said before.....by virtue of Richard copying you he is admitting your improvements have exceeded his. Even if he copied you exactly, he will never be able to really compete as long as he and the family are running things. Add to the fact that he has Topo and there is an impending time bomb of a double cross coming.

After nearly 10 years ( and 4 production facilities) he has been making tiled ceramic BBQs he has never been able to get to the point where he could sell from stock. Every time he has relocated he has left behind significant debt or burned his investors.

The current association with Topo will explode....the question (and bets?) is when. If he has not already done so, Topo may start skimming money off of supplies and substituting cheaper product, and then there would be continuing quality issues since there is no one supervising Topo.

[Firemonkey]

I dont think anyone here faults another for being lured into the Johnsons trap. Just as everyone else has echoed, our issues are with the Kompany and the deceptive manner in which their forum (business as a whole) are managed.

I have a #5. It has issues, it can still be used, and could use some repairs, but the arrogance and deceit of Richard has sent me on the warpath.

I enjoy food from a K, KK, and even BGE. But the johnsons have put such a distate in my mouth its hard to overcome. Bottom line, this forum is open to all. Say what you feel, nobody is faulting one another for having a different grill (right Sanny ). We enjoy the photos and recipes equally.

What you wont find here are rabid sycophants that berate you when you have a servcie issue. And you probably wont see too many servcie issues on the forum because Dennis actually provides service after the sale, and stands behind his product!

[jdbower]

Say what you feel' date=' nobody is faulting one another for having a different grill[/quote']

Unless you happen to cook on a George Foreman

[Firemonkey]

Hey, if DJ can get away with a Smokey joe for 6 months, we can let you slide on a George - for a little while anyway.

Kinda hard to do ribs on there, isnt it

[ThreeDJ16]

Hey, if DJ can get away with a Smokey joe for 6 months, we can let you slide on a George - for a little while anyway.

Kinda hard to do ribs on there, isnt it

Hey remember I ended up with the keg looking R2D2 shaped thing for a little while too.

-=Jasen=-

[Krusty K]

K vs KK - too much caffeine

I'll be honest, I have a K#7. I do love what it allows me to do.

In all honesty, if I were doing my initial research over again to buy a ceramic cooker, KK would probably win out. My personal reasons why are irrelevant to this discussion.

RJ had/has a great product (probably better than anything else out there for a long time) prior to the latest KK and a lot of people are very happy with them. His company's customer service record is, to say the least, poor. Regardless of the discussions of "how it came to be", I think KK is a superior product now.

Just remember when you're talking about things: Those of us who HAVE a Kamado are kinda stuck... We might like our product and what we can do with it, but (in my case anyway) can't afford to get into another high-end product like the KK.

Hey, Dennis: Wanna set up a "trade up" program?

-M

As try to vie for at least top 5 favorite K owners I probably shouldn't have had all that caffeine today......

I agree almost 100% with Sominus. As I've posted in other topics, my K7 is circa 2000 has sat out uncovered in every cold winter and hasn't lost a tile. When my firebox cracked I had a new one in 3 weeks.

My take in a little more detail.

-Bands. I can't keep my bands adjusted, I quit even worrying about it. While I think the KK hinge appears to be orders of magnitude better, I still read of adjustments. To me unless it never needs adjustment then its a design that still needs improvement, I don't care how easy it lifts and stays up. No doubt it must leak less and adjust more easily.

-As far as the OTB shape - no thanks, not enough room and the heat distribution claims are IMHO too subjective and after nearly 7 years of cooking, it is a non-issue. I'll take a classic. BUT, great that you can get which ever you prefer.

-As far as the two-part firebox, I'd guess it would have to help, but not eliminate cracks just as an expansion joint limits but does not eliminate cracking in concrete (and if ceramic never cracked then you wouldn't make the firebox in two parts).

-My favorite small piece/big improvement is the bottom door with the "air-flow wheel", not sure why that doesn't seem to be on all of them - love to have that retrofit on my door or for Dennis to make K replacement doors with that.

-Top damper. One of the only things I like about the Egg. I don't have any trouble with mine, but I really like the KK design which is just a much, much better execution of the basic K design. I would actually feel like I had more control if I had a wheel door on the top like the bottom. My bands leak so much its a non-issue and you just adjust elsewhere to compensate. Air flow isn't the only thing that impacts temperature, like heat distribution, there's a ton of variables in lump, wood, etc. that impact temperature that you can't control. Unless of course you get one of those Gurus.

-Quality, looks, intangibles - goes without saying - KK.

So would I buy a KK if my K fell apart. Depends, I'm cooking so much for small catering jobs, I never really have enough room and God knows I wouldn't buy two. I think I'd find a two chamber job like what you can get from Brinkman for less than $400. I've used them, they work and they can hold about twice as much. I would be concerned that the cheaper ones, like that entry level Brinkman's, do not heat evenly all across the surface and do not retain the heat much if at all. BUT, you can't challenge a two-chamber as a valid design for serious cooking. Look at what the pro teams are using or what the manufactures of commercial rigs are selling. A lot of them (most?) are variations on that design. But look here: http://www.pigroast.com/ and here http://www.bbquepits.com/portable_trail ... mokers.htm and here http://www.bbqpits.com/ just for a few examples.

BUT.... I if I had money laying around after I bought the two pinballs I must have, then I'd buy the biggest classic KK there was.

You gotta love an open Forum!

[Curly]

Yeah, ceramics are definately not the catering cooker of choice...weight and space are a big issue. But for the backyard bbq...can't be beat

[ThreeDJ16]

I think if I was looking at a cooker for catering, I would consider the Caldera from Guru ( http://secure.thebbqguru.com/ProductCar ... ategory=43 ) or a Cookshack smoker ( http://www.cookshack.com/ ). I would favor the Caldera as the controls are way more precise unless the Cookshack people have upgraded from using Traeger controls.

-=Jasen=-